This is the first submission of an application for this article of manufacture. There are no other applications, provisional or non provisional.
There are no federally sponsored or funded research or development projects or undertakings in any way associated with the instant invention.
1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to that field of devices consisting of articles of manufacture known as painting accessories. Specifically, the instant invention is a container adapted for carrying both paint and paintbrush.
2. Background Information
The prior art discloses that paint buckets and other sorts of paint carriers are well known. Such carriers include buckets having a hollow interior accessible through a large top opening into which paint may be poured, and paint pans such as the sort most often used in conjunction with roller-type applicators.
More often than not, when working with a brush, a painter will simply leave the paint in the can in which the paint is obtained, and paint directly out of that can. In such a situation, it is usually desirable to prevent paint from slopping onto the surface upon which the can is placed. This is usually accomplished by placing a covering on the floor and setting the can down on the covering, or simply placing the can directly on an appropriate area of a ladder. With the can in reach, the painter may then dip the paintbrush into the can, and paint until re-dipping becomes necessary.
It is further known that paintbrushes can become problematic once saturated with paint. An individual using a paint soaked brush often finds him/herself in the difficult position of trying to locate a suitable place upon which to place the brush when free hands are required. More often than not, the place of choice is directly atop the open can. This is usually accomplished by setting the brush down atop the paint can opening such that the brush sets on the rim, the handle extends across the can opening, and the opposite end of the handle sets upon the can rim.
With the brush set down atop the open can in this manner, it is quite common for wet paint to be transferred to the handle. In turn, this wet paint frequently is transferred from the paintbrush handle to the hand of the painter upon picking the brush up for continued use.
Another common solution to the problem of where to place a wet paintbrush is to set it down upon a covered surface, just as can be done with the paint can. For example, if one has placed newspaper upon the floor in order to guard against splattering the floor while painting, it is a well known practice to place the wet paintbrush directly down onto the covered surface. Unfortunately, this often leads to a xe2x80x9csoaking throughxe2x80x9d of the paint whereby the paint on the paint-soaked brush, under the force of gravity, flows from the brush bristles and onto the surface covering. The paint then puddles on the covering, and frequently soaks right through that covering, resulting in wet paint coming into direct contact with the surface sought to be protected by the covering.
Still another common practice for dealing with the problem of xe2x80x9cwhere to put a wet paintbrushxe2x80x9d is to use the lid from the open paint can to serve as a surface upon which the wet brush may be placed. This works reasonably well, the first few times the brush is placed down upon the lid. However, it is also known that the wet paint lying on the paint can lid will tend to dry out as it is exposed to air. Each time the wet paintbrush is placed down upon the lid, more and more wet paint will be deposited thereupon. The combination of fresh wet paint and somewhat dry or drying paint most often results in a pasty, lumpy and or crusty covering of paint on the lid. Paint having these sorts of consistency problems is highly undesirable. Worse still, just as the wet brush tends to leave some of its wet paint on the lid, when placed there momentarily, the wet brush also tends to pick up some of the undesirable consistency paint when lifted off that can lid. Using a brush having thereupon paint of an undesirable consistency frequently leads to the transferal of the undesirable paint onto the surface which is being painted. In other words, pasty/lumpy/crusty paint finds its way directly onto the nice newly painted surface. Such a situation usually requires the removal of the undesired paint, and a repainting of the area which has been contaminated.
Another issue of worthy of note often arises when placing the brush down upon any dry surface, and leaving the brush exposed to air there for any length of time. That is, wet paint found on the brush at the moment the brush is laid down frequently dries somewhat before the brush is used again. Paint which has dried is likely to xe2x80x9cclogxe2x80x9d the brush. A clogged brush is much less efficient than a clean brush. The bristles of the brush tend to stick together and cause fresh paint to be applied in a lumpy or uneven consistency, or even mar the smooth new paint.
Another common problem associated with painting is the contamination of the wet paint by foreign objects. This can occur when painting directly out of the paint can. In such a situation, it is not unusual for dust, dirt and other contaminants to fall into or otherwise find their way through the open top of the paint can and into the wet paint. Such contamination is just as likely to occur when the paint has been poured out of the can and into a xe2x80x9cpanxe2x80x9d or similar paint container. Furthermore, the incidence of contamination is increased multi-fold when the paintbrush is set down in the open when not in use. Because the paint is wet (whether in the can, in a pan, or just on the brush), any dirt, dust or other contaminants easily adhere to the wet paint upon contact.
Finally, while many ladders have included thereupon a folding shelf for setting a paint can down, others have no such shelf. This is especially true of the taller and/or telescoping ladders most often employed when painting the exterior walls of a building. The absence of a convenient place upon which to set the paint can and paint brush often forces the painter to climb the ladder while holding the paint can in one hand, thus requiring a one-handed climb of the ladder. Obviously, climbing a ladder in such a fashion can be quite dangerous.
The instant invention is paint and paintbrush carrier designed to function as a single unit, acting to both carry paint which is to be applied by a brush, and to serve as a holder for that paintbrush when the paintbrush is temporarily not in use. The instant invention further has the desirable qualities of reducing paint contamination, and simplifying paintbrush cleaning.
Unlike the prior art, the present invention incorporates features which permit paint to be efficiently carried in a quantity sufficient for extended painting, while at the same time permitting the carrying of an amount less than a full can of paint, if so desired. Furthermore, the instant invention makes it possible to safely and efficiently set the brush down so that the painter""s hands are free to accomplish another task while painting. Additionally, the instant invention decreases the chances that wet paint upon the brush will become somewhat dry, thus decreasing the chances that the brush will become clogged.
A first object of the instant invention, therefore, is to provide for an easy to carry (hands free) paint container which may be filled with sufficient paint as required by a particular painting task.
This objective is accomplished by fabricating a container having a first opening into which paint may be poured from a paint can, occupying a storage space within the container, in a quantity deemed sufficient by the painter.
This objective is further accomplished in another embodiment wherein a carry handle is incorporated into the container.
This objective is further accomplished in yet another embodiment wherein a belt attachment means is provided for on the container.
A second object of the invention is to provide a device which is capable of serving as a paintbrush holder for the purpose of safely holding the paintbrush when it is wet with paint, but not momentarily in use.
This objective is accomplished by including a second opening which is sized and shaped for closely and removably accepting a paintbrush handle. Because the paintbrush handle is held by a portion of the container which is not likely to be covered with wet paint, the possibility of the handle coming in contact with the wet paint is diminished.
A third object of the invention is to provide a paintbrush holder which will permit wet paint on the paintbrush to flow out of the bristles and thus decrease the opportunity for the paint to clog the bristles of the paintbrush.
This objective is accomplished by incorporating the second opening in a portion of the container which is located above the paint storage area of the container such that gravity tends to drain the wet paint downwardly, away from the bristles so that the wet paint does not build up as quickly as it would if the brush were merely set down upon a surface and the paintbrush was allowed to set in the puddle of wet paint which inevitably forms wherever the paintbrush is placed when not in use.
A fourth object of the invention is to reduce the opportunity for foreign substances to become incorporated into the wet paint and be transferred via the paintbrush to the surface which is being painted.
This objective is accomplished through the use of a container having a first opening into which wet paint may be poured, and which is sufficiently large for the passage therethrough of the paintbrush, the container providing a sheltered area in which to house paint which is being used, thus decreasing the opportunity for foreign objects to contaminate the wet paint.
This objective is further accomplished through the use of a container having a second opening for closely accepting a paintbrush handle, the paintbrush being placed through the first opening, the handle being closely engaged by the second opening, thus safely storing the paint soaked bristles of the brush within the sheltered area and reducing the opportunity for contact with airborne contaminants.
A fifth object of the instant invention is to provide for a paint and paintbrush container which permits the storage of the paintbrush in direct contact with the wet paint for a more extended period, thus reducing the opportunity for wet paint to dry and consequently clog the paintbrush.
This objective is accomplished by filling the container with a sufficient quantity of wet paint such that when the paintbrush is held in place in the second opening, the paintbrush bristles are submerged in the wet paint, decreasing the opportunity for the paint to dry on the bristles in the event that the user of the paintbrush must desist painting for a longer period of time, but not for so long a period of time so as to make cleaning of the brush worthwhile.
A sixth object of the instant invention is to provide a container capable of not only accepting paint and holding a paintbrush, but also of serving as a convenient paintbrush pre-soak area prior to brush bristle cleaning.
This objective is accomplished by placing a sufficient quantity of an appropriate paint solvent into the container such that the paintbrush may be removably engaged into the second opening with its bristles submerged in the solvent. In such an arrangement, the bristles tend to soak more evenly than if the brush is merely laid down flat (horizontally) in a container having solvent. Furthermore, because the paint is generally more dense than the solvent, the paint tends to flow downwardly, away from the brush, under the force of gravity, thus permitting increased access to the bristles by the solvent and consequently making soaking both easier and more efficient by reducing the time and effort required to clean the paintbrush bristles.
A seventh object of the instant invention is to reduce the amount of paint which is wasted when a wet paintbrush is put down momentarily.
This objective is accomplished by placing the second opening above the paint storage area such that when the brush is hung within the second opening, the wet paint on the brush bristles tends to drip from the brush downwardly into the reservoir of wet paint. Wet paint dripping from the brush when the brush is momentarily not in use is thereby returned to the available pool of paint, rather than having the wet paint merely puddling on a covering from which it may not be easily recovered.
An eighth object of the invention is to simplify the process of returning paint which is temporarily stored within the container, back into the container in which the paint is stored for extended periods of time. Most often, the latter container is the can in which the paint was originally purchased.
This objective is accomplished in one embodiment by incorporating into the paint and paintbrush carrier a hollow handle which communicates at both ends of the hollow handle with the invention""s storage area, and thereby permits passage therethrough of paint within the storage area and out of the second opening, the second opening acting essentially as a funnel.